“Katherine agreed to the marriage because she wants nobility, as well. I do not think you are after that, are you?” James asked.
Regan shook her head.
“Your mother thought so, too,” James added.
“Mother?” Regan doubted what she heard.
“She said you are a free spirit and nobility will only cage you.”
Regan felt happy knowing that her mother did care for her, too. But if nobility would cage her with the man she loved, then she would gladly enter the cage.
“What are you two still doing here?” Margaret asked as she entered into the room.
“We were just about to leave,” James answered.
“Then, hurry. We should not keep Lady Tindale and His Grace waiting,” Margaret ordered. “You know how important this night is for us.”
Regan stood. She smiled at her parents, but her heart was heavy. Lady Tindale was hosting the betrothal ball for Katherine and Warin. Two months after this night, they would be wed.
*****
Warin smiled widely at Katherine. As always, Katherine was the most beautiful woman at the ball. She looked ravishing in her lilac gown, which Lady Tindale ordered from Paris. She was so elegant that every woman in the room was insecure of her beauty and every man wanted her for themselves.
“You look beautiful, Miss Katherine,” Warin said in his low husky voice.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Katherine replied sweetly.
Warin looked around. His eyebrows curved when he did not notice Regan. He made it certain that the younger sister should come. He was curious about how she looked in the yellow muslin gown he had sent for her.
“Is something wrong, Your Grace?” Katherine asked.
“I do not see Miss Regan,” He murmured. When Katherine’s mouth twitched, he quickly added, “Or your father.”
“Father is probably with the Lords in the gaming room,” Katherine answered. “As for Regan, she probably snuck into your library or anywhere that has paintings or sculptures. Why are you looking for her?”
Warin sensed a jealousy in Katherine’s voice. He chuckled. He knew that Katherine was forced into the engagement, just as he was. But, she was an admirable woman and he could not help but to cherish her for real. Her jealousy was proof that she had affection towards him, as well.
“I was not,” Warin answered. He held Katherine’s hand and said, “Why would I be looking for her when my eyes could not have enough of you?”
Katherine giggled. Warin touched a few of her tresses and asked, “Can I have the first dance?”
“Of course, Your Grace. My dances will all be yours,” Katherine said charmingly.
Warin smiled and led Katherine to the dance floor. As they walked, his eyes roamed around his London residence, seeking Regan.
*****
Regan looked at the portrait of the late Reginald Tindale. She could still remember the former duke. Warin looked just like him. They had the same color of hair and high aquiline nose. She smiled a little. She wondered if the late duke had wanted her to be his daughter-in-law instead. He was fond of her. He once told her that his son needed to marry someone like her.
She sighed. Oh please, Your Grace. She wanted to plead before the portrait, but she knew it was useless. The engagement of Katherine and Warin would be formally announced on that night. The ghost of the late duke could not stop it.
“Miss Regan, what are you doing here?”
Regan froze when she heard Warin’s voice. She slowly exhaled before she faced him. The duke looked at her intensely. His eyebrows were raised and his lips pressed flat.
Regan’s shoulders fell. Once again, the duke was disappointed with how she dressed. She had dressed in the chartreuse gown that Katherine wore during the engagement dinner in their home. Her sister insisted that she wear it. It was more decent than the gowns she had. She was too frustrated to argue with her and wore the gown.
“I sent you a yellow gown. I was hoping you would wear it,” Warin’s voice hinted his anger.
A yellow gown? Madelene mentioned that the duke sent two gowns. One was for Regan. However, Katherine insisted that all the gowns were sent only for her. Regan did not argue. Why would the duke send her a gown? But, he did and Katherine purposely hid it from her.
“It did not fit, Your Grace,” Regan lied again. She was not covering for Katherine. She just did not want to appear as petty as her sister.
“I apologize,” Warin said. “I thought you and Katherine were of the same size.”
“There is nothing to apologize for, Your Grace. I am deeply grateful for the gift.”
Regan’s heart thumped like a galloping horse when Warin walked closer to her. She wanted to move away, but her feet remained glued to the wooden floor. He stood at her back. His chest was only inches away from her back. His body heat sent shivers down her spine. She closed her eyes for a moment. A playful demon whispered that she should pretend to faint and fall on his chest. She had read it a lot in the romance novels. The man caught the woman when she was about to fall. Then, they looked in each other’s eyes and realized that they were in love. Wake up, Regan, she thought.
When she opened her eyes, they met with the duke’s. Her knees, which were frozen, wobbled. Her heart that galloped stopped and she forgot to breathe. She remembered the first time she had met the young duke. It reminded her that she was in love with him, for reasons she still could not fathom.
“Now I remember where I first saw you. It was in this very room,” Warin told her.
Her heart bolted with joy. The duke was telling the truth. He remembered her.
“It was a few years back. You were about twelve.”
“Seventeen,” Regan corrected the duke.
The duke chuckled. “So, you did know me back when we were younger.”
Regan secretly bit her lower lip to hold her smile from spreading wider. The genuine joy in the duke’s eyes was stronger. It pulled the corners of her lips into a smile that resembled that of a woman who had won a man’s heart.
“I did, Your Grace. Your father had told a few stories about you, too,” Regan admitted. “Mostly about you being a rascal.”
“He called me a rascal?” Warin asked.
“He did. When I joined him and father in a fishing trip a few years back,” Regan explained. “He said you had a habit of falling off the boat.”
The duke looked at her for a while. Regan’s throat throbbed. She stiffened her neck to keep herself from gulping loudly.
Warin turned to the late duke’s portrait. He chuckled and defended, “I did not fall off the boat. I am fond of swimming in the river.”
“On your tailcoat?” Regan doubted.
Warin laughed aloud. Regan tried to control her giggle, but when the duke did not stop laughing, she ended up laughing with him. She stopped laughing when her father joined them.
“Father,” Regan’s face reddened when she noticed how disappointed her father was.
“Mr. Knowles,” Warin respectfully greeted.
James smiled at the duke, but Regan knew that smile. Her father was trying to hide his ire.
“Your Grace,” James glanced at Regan and continued, “I find it intriguing that you are about to be engaged to my eldest daughter, but you dally with my other daughter.”
“F-father,” Regan stuttered.
Warin was offended by James comment. Dallying with Regan? He glanced at the young lady next to him. He looked around. Some older women on the floor stared at them.
He straightened his stance and answered, “I was not dallying with Ms. Regan. I was enjoying a talk with her about my father.”
“I do not mind that you have a friendly chat with my daughter, Your Grace,” James looked at the women in one corner of the room and added, “But, you should be having that chat with Katherine.”
Warin nodded. He gave his future father-in-law a bow and turned to Regan, “It was a delight to chat with you, Ms. Regan.”
“It was a delight on my
part, as well, Your Grace,” Regan answered.
The sincerity in Regan’s eyes stilled Warin for a moment. He did not want to leave her side. She was a joy to talk with and he did not want their conversation to end.
As he descended the stairs to find Katherine, his thoughts were still with Regan. It had been a while that he had talked with a woman, who had no intention to flirt with him. He had again received a smile that was meant for him and not for his title.
“Your Grace, I have been searching for you,” Katherine greeted Warin as soon as he returned to the dance floor.
“I am sorry, Katherine,” Warin said. “I was having an amusing conversation with your sister.”
“About what?” One of Katherine’s eyebrows cocked a little.
“About my father,” Warin said. “Did you know that she had gone fishing with my father when she was younger?”
Katherine flicked him a side grin. “You are becoming interested in my sister more and more, Your Grace.”
Warin flashed a proud smirk when he noticed Katherine’s jealousy again. He gently held one of her hands and slipped them onto his elbow. “But, I am more interested in you, my dear lady.”
“Well, you should be, Your Grace,” Katherine agreed, “I am the one you are marrying. Not my sister.”
“I never had any plan of marrying your sister,” Warin quickly responded.
He ushered Katherine to the dance floor. When they were waiting for the music to start, his eyes caught a glimpse of Regan, who was descending the stairs. She looked lovely with her ringlets falling on the side of her face. He paused when a young man approached Regan. When Regan smiled at the young noble, Warin gritted his teeth.
“Your Grace,” Katherine called. She seemed annoyed that he suddenly stopped.
He looked at Katherine and apologized. He returned to dancing with his betrothed. Still, his head kept turning to where Regan and the younger noble stood. He had no plans to marry Regan, but he did not want her to be someone else’s bride.
Chapter Four
“Here she is,” Lady Tindale said when Katherine joined her and a group of noble ladies. “The future duchess of Derbyshire.”
Katherine lifted her gown slightly, bowed and gave half-smiles to the wives of the earls and viscounts in the group. She turned to Lady Cartham, the countess of Walworth, and gave the lady a cocky smile. Lady Cartham was her acquaintance in Lady Rubella’s dance school when they were young. The countess often looked down on her for being a commoner.
“Lady Cartham, we meet again,” Katherine said.
Lady Cartham gave her a curtsy fit for a duchess. Katherine wanted to laugh aloud. Though she was still hesitant about her engagement with the duke, she was enjoying the attention she was getting. Everyone in the ball treated her like she was already the duchess.
“Is she not a beauty?” Lady Tindale told the ladies. She gently touched Katherine’s blonde tresses and added, “My grandchildren will be lovely.”
The duchess of Walworth turned to her daughter-in-law. Lady Cartham gave Katherine a quick glare. The young countess was yet to bear an heir despite being married for three years.
“Of course, Katherine will stay in Derbyshire. I am certain that my son will give me an heir as soon as he marries,” Lady Tindale proudly declared.
Though Katherine enjoyed that the conversation was taunting Lady Cartham, her heart was filled with qualm. She was getting married sooner than she expected. She had no plans of having an heir immediately.
“Miss Katherine,” a young lady said as she joined the group.
Katherine felt relieved when her friend Lady Patey, the youngest daughter of Viscount Wright, joined. Lady Isabel Patey was her acquaintance when she was in France. The other ladies in the group frowned at Lady Patey.
Lady Patey was known for being wild. She always wore a different style of gown. Her gowns often showed more skin, something the Parisians would enjoy but the English would frown upon.
Katherine quickly excused herself from the group and waited for her friend to follow her.
“You are a life saver,” Katherine told her friend.
“You should get used to it,” Lady Patey reminded her. “You will be a duchess in a few weeks.”
Katherine exhaled loudly. Lady Patey sat next to her.
“I could not believe it myself. Ms. Katherine Knowles, getting married? Hah!” Lady Patey sniggered, “And to a duke? If they knew what the two of us were doing while in Paris, they....”
“Hush your mouth,” Katherine snapped.
“Well, I am going back to Paris next week. Finally, I’ve convinced my father to send me back,” Lady Patey told her. “I am going to be Madam Revous’s fashion apprentice.”
“A fashion apprentice?” Katherine repeated.
When Katherine was in Paris, she and Lady Patey spent their time in Madam Revous’s fashion house. The Madam’s house was also a secret lodging house for men and women, who wished to entertain their prohibited carnal needs. Katherine was there to learn about fashion, though she also dallied with some men.
“I wanted to invite you. My father gave me a hefty sum. And he promised to send me more,” Lady Patey said smiling. “Provided that I will never set foot in London or Wright ever again. Isn’t that quite an offer?”
“He disowned you?” Katherine was shocked.
“I presume he did. I do not care. I am free.”
Free. The word repeated in Katherine’s mind a few more times. She looked at Lady Patey. Her mouth twitched a little. Her friend had the luxury to leave England. She had a title, Katherine did not.
“You could come with me if you ever change your mind,” Lady Patey added.
Katherine shook her head. In Paris, she would be free, but she could not abandon the opportunity of having an aristocratic title. Still, her friend’s invitation made the qualms in her mind stronger. Was being a duchess worth her happiness? She asked, but could not find the answer she wished.
*****
Regan walked into her father’s study. James did not talk to her after they arrived home from the ball. He did not talk much during their breakfast, as well. Regan knew that her father was disappointed with her.
“Father, Madelene said you called for me,” Regan said.
James moved away from the window and sat on his desk. Regan stood in front of him.
“You are playing a dangerous game with your heart, Regan,” James said.
“Father, the duke and I were just talking about his father,” Regan repeated.
“I know. He was talking about his father, but you were expecting something more,” James added. “He is marrying your sister.”
Regan frowned. She adored her father, but she hated how he questioned her intentions. She did not flirt with Warin. She was hoping that the duke may take notice of her, but she had no intentions of ruining the engagement or the wedding.
“I am well aware of that, Father.”
James sighed. He took a quill and some papers with their family’s letterhead. “I want you to write Lord Hewitt and tell him that you wish to arrive earlier than agreed.”
“Father?” Regan’s lower lip trembled as she asked. “Are you sending me away?”
“I thought about it last night. I want you to stay in Leicestershire. I will have you fetched two days before the wedding day.”
“But, Father, you cannot send me away only for the reason that I talked to the duke,” Regan objected in a loud voice.
James was about to speak, but a knock on the door stopped him. Madelene entered the room when James had allowed it.
“What is it?” James asked.
“The Duke of Derbyshire has sent some blueberry twigs, Mr. Knowles,” Madelene replied. She glanced at Regan and gave her a teasing smile. “He wishes to give it to Ms. Regan.”
“Blueberry twigs?” James raised an eyebrow at Regan.
Regan contained her smile as she explained the story behind the twigs. James shook his head. He took the quill and tapped i
t on the table. “Yesterday, you talked about his father, a subject he does not wish to talk about often. Now, he is sending you blueberry twigs?”
“It means nothing, Father. The duke, my future brother-in-law, is only giving a gift to his future sister in law,” Regan reasoned.
“Write the letter, so I can send it by tomorrow,” James ordered.
“I am going to write the letter, Father,” Regan answered. “But only after I plant these twigs.”
Regan gritted her teeth. Instead of taking the quill and the paper, she turned towards the door.
“Regan Harriet Knowles!” James called angrily.
Regan continued to walk out of her father’s study. She wiped the tears that were about to fall before she turned to Madelene.
“Where are the twigs?” Regan asked.
“I already placed them in the garden,” Madelene replied.
*****
Regan stared at the last of the seven twigs that Warin had sent her. She looked at Madelene. Her lady’s maid, who she treated as her best friend, was waiting to see if she was going to plant it. She glanced at the window of her father’s study. Soon, she would be writing the letter that James ordered her to do. By next week or perhaps sooner, she would be on a carriage to Leicestershire.
“You should keep it with you,” Madelene said.
“Keep what?”
“That last twig. You should plant it in Leicestershire,” Madelene advised. “So, you will be reminded of him.”
Regan laughed a little. “My father wants me to forget him. But, you want me to bring something that will remind me of him?”
“Yes. You do not want to forget him,” Madelene said in a straightforward tone.
Regan frowned and placed the twig into the prepared soil. She looked at Madelene and smiled softly.
“You should ask your father to let you stay,” Madelene said while she pressed the soil around the twig.
“He has decided,” Regan replied.
Madelene stood and looked at the lane of blueberry twigs they had planted. “I think the duke likes you. Your father notices it, too. Perhaps, it is the reason he is sending you away.”
Historical Hearts Romance Collection Page 7